If Bill Simmons is right, this is going to be a very bad week for the Miami Heat. Not only is he hearing that the Boston Celtics made an offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo recently, but he now believes that the superstar forward will land in Beantown.
While Heat fans should take this with a grain of salt, especially considering that Simmons is much more a character than he is a news-breaker at this point in his career, this is also something that I can't imagine they wanted to wake up to.
And if there is any level of truth to what Simmons just said, the Heat might be about to lose out on the Giannis bidding war to their biggest rival. That, more than anything else, is going to make this sting much more.
But even if the Celtics are just interested in Giannis, that alone is naturally going to make life much more difficult for the Heat as they try to hammer down a deal over the next few days.
A worst-case scenario for the Heat might be playing out
Losing the Giannis bidding war in itself is going to be a very difficult pill to swallow for Heat fans. However, losing to Boston, out of all teams, is only going to make it that much more unbearable.
Especially considering that the Celtics would probably be considered the unanimous favorite to win the Eastern Conference next season if they are able to pull off such a move. That would be absolutely gutting for the Heat.
Not to mention that losing the Giannis sweepstakes would ignite many more questions about their future.
In the end, this worst-case scenario possibility for the Heat revolves around one question: Are the Celtics genuinely willing to trade Jaylen Brown?
Without that answer, it's impossible to know what exactly is taking place behind the scenes.
Does anyone know what the Celtics are actually doing?
If Boston isn't willing to trade Brown, and they're just doing their due diligence around Giannis, then this could all be one big leverage play from the Bucks. But if the Celtics are willing to trade Brown, or perhaps even just open to the discussion of it, that raises the stakes that much higher.
Because if that's the case, there is a scenario in which the Celtics put together a multi-team offer that the Heat just couldn't compete with.
At least for now, no one really knows what the Celtics are doing or what their intentions may be. That may be by design.
Notoriously, the Celtics are one franchise that likes to keep its cards close to its chest. It's rare when their moves are sniffed out by the media, which adds even more intrigue to the smoke surrounding them and Giannis over the last few days.
Either way, the Celtics being involved, one way or another, in Giannis is not good news for the Heat. And, if Simmons' prediction is correct, it could end up opening the door to a complete nightmare for Miami.
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